FAQ:

What is SPAM?
SPAM is the common name for unsolicited commercial email. On January 1, 2004 the new "Can Spam" Act went into effect to the relief of legitimate email marketers everywhere. No longer do they have to follow the 24 separate state laws, each with their own rules for sending commercial bulk email. The new federal law overrides all existing state laws including the tough new California law. Among other advantages for email marketers is that recipients can no longer sue the senders of bulk email.

To be "Can Span" compliant, the following rules must be followed:

• Rule #1 - Every piece of information in the header must accurate, true, and in no way misleading.
• Rule #2 - Include a clear way for the recipient to opt out of the list. You must honor all remove requests within 10 days of receipt.
• Rule #3 - Include your physical business address.
• Rule #4 - Indicate is the email is an advertisement.

The real test for effective email marketing is how closely the email comes to an area of interest to the receiver. Sending a offer for a free dental exam to a denture wearer may be bad business, but sending an offer for a free list of available office space to a tenants with leases due to expire in less than a year is very good business.

How do I get permission to email someone? How do I collect email for my list?

There are several ways to use effective, permission based email marketing. The best way is with an offer for something your prospects can use. A free report or newsletter on market conditions, or a book on leasing, or a free lease/investment analysis are all legitimate offers which can cause people to give you their email or contact information and permission to market to them.

Telemarketing also works. In the process of building a database of inventory in your market, ask for an email list. Quite often, the company will provide a full list of everyone on board.

Here is and example of a Can-Spam compliant sales letter with offers:

Subject Line: Office Space Available (Rule #1)

Hi, my name is John Q. Broker. My firm, Best Commercial Real Estate, is in the business of helping companies when the want to grow their business.

One way we do this is by providing a free list of available space in your area. In order to provide the best list for your needs, please visit www.bcre.com/listings.html, and tell us more about your business. Or, contact me at 555-111-1212, PST, or email me at broker@bcre.com. (Offer with response mechanisms)

Sincerely,

John Q. Broker
Commercial Leasing Specialist
Best Commercial Real Estate
1211 Commercial Center
Anytown, PA 01234
(555) 111-1212
broker@bcre.com (Rule #2)

P.S. If you would rather I not contact you by email, please reply to this message and let me know, "No thanks". - John. (Rule #3)

In this example, we have not asked the prospect to buy anything, so we can disregardRule #4.

How often should I send email to my list?

Consistency is the key, and for offers like the one in the example above, once a month should be more than enough, if used with a different offer also sent once a month. Be sure to send your message on the same day each month.